Following some really praiseworthy display from Indian women athletes at the ongoing Rio Olympics, the need for having a more effective system in sports was again raised by legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh.

Singh said that if India wanted better results, the government should make Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore as the sports minister.

“I have a suggestion, make Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore the Sports Minister and put him in charge with appropriate funding and resource support. Put different individuals as heads for different sports and give them all support to get medals for India,” he said.

He called for the need to immediately start preparations to win Gold in the upcoming Games.

“Today we have the infrastructure and resources. Nothing is lacking. We should get top class coaches on a contract basis and empower them and our sports people to go for gold,” he advised.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who is currently the MoS Information and Broadcasting, is himself an Olympic medallist.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Rathore bagged the Silver in double-trap shooting becoming the first Indian to win a Silver at the Olympics since Norman Pitchard won two in 1900.

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Besides the Silver, Rathore has three Commonwealth Games Gold medals. He remained the Asian Clay Target Champion for four straight years from 2003.

India’s performance at Rio was dismal till gymnast Dipa Karmakar came fourth in her event. It was India’s best performance in gymnastics at an international competition.

Then came India’s first medal when Sakshi Malik won the Bronze in wrestling becoming the first ever female wrestler to do so.

And on August 19, shuttler PV Sindhu became the first woman to win a Silver for the country.

AP

Milkha congratulated all three women for their performance.

“I had tears in my eyes when I saw PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik drape the national flag around their shoulders after receiving their medals. You ladies have made India proud and we are grateful to you,” said Milkha.